Museum of Islamic Art
The Museum of Islamic Art is on a small island and can be considered a piece of art by itself. Designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, this building is spectacular. It is clearly inspired by the art it houses, and … Continued
Layover in Doha, Qatar
The Doha, Qatar airport sits just outside of downtown in this Arabian Peninsula capital city. That makes it really convenient for exploration when a flight with Qatar Airways gives you a long layover. That’s precisely what I did with my … Continued
NANTA, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Seoul LDS Temple
NANTA She said, “Go see NANTA if you can get tickets.” Based on the advice of my friend, I looked up this strange acronym and found it to be a comedy performance. We got tickets not knowing what to really … Continued
DMZ JSA Tour
DMZ, JSA, MDL, UNC, MAC, USA, ROK, DPRK – these are just some of the acronyms we had to get familiar with when visiting the most militarized border in the world. This border between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) … Continued
Korean War Memorial and Museum
When people think Korea today, the thought is almost always tinted with war. The politics of the peninsula affect the world indirectly, but they effect the people living there every day. In downtown Seoul, we visited the Korean War Memorial … Continued
Seoul Palaces – Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung
Gyeongbokgung The main Seoul palace, home to the Joseon Dynasty, lies at the end of the main boulevard in town. It is extensive and magnificent in many ways. Built in 1395, it was destroyed in a few hundred years ago … Continued
Seoul Palaces – Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung
Seoul was home to Korea’s emperors making it home also to impressive imperial architecture. Unfortunately, some of it is not so old because just like Beijing’s Summer Palace foreign powers invaded and destroyed some of it. After visiting Seoul palaces, … Continued
Lotte World Tower and Aquarium
I love tall buildings and had to see the Lotte World Tower, the world’s fifth tallest building, even if we couldn’t go up. The tower itself was not open yet in July, but the first several floors with the Lotte … Continued
Seoul Olympic Park
In 1988, the world converged on Seoul for the Summer Olympic Games. A large park was created for the games with several venues surrounding hills and lakes. It is a park that still beckons for leisurely strolls and an experience … Continued
Seoul, Korea
I found myself with a few days off in a row and wanting to go somewhere. With cheap and short airfare from Beijing, Seoul, Korea became the destination. A place I had only stopped over in the airport before, Korea … Continued